The Lioness' Squire
by Anaroriel
Summary: Neal becomes the famed Lioness' squire, but that is the only the beginning. Will Neal survive the summer at Pirate's Swoop with the temperamental Lioness, her mysterious husband, and their three children? One year later: Final chapter up!
1. The Lioness' Offer

**A/N: This is a fic I wrote while taking a break from my other one, The Daughter Comes Forth. Please Read and Review, and all Constructive Criticism is appreciated. Thank you!**

_When conducted properly, a lighting spell can be used as a flare. Depending on the strength of the magic, the flare can be seen from –_

A bump against my bed interrupted my reading, and the next moment a dog was lying next to me on the bed, trying his best to get me to surrender my book. I held it out of reach of the beast who was as beautiful as my Lord Wyldon, our beloved Stump of a training master, was flexible. I was safe to bet that the dog got uglier every time I saw it, which was often.

The intrusion of the dog, however, hinted that my best friend would not be far behind. At the very sight of her my chest and mind filled with warmth and protective love. There were few people I loved unconditionally in this world, and Keladry of Mindelan was one of them. She was a big fourteen year girl with light brown hair cropped at her ear, hazel eyes with long lashes, and a stubborn chin. Her expression was blank and lacked personality like a piece of parchment, and I knew her well enough to know she was hiding an emotion from me.

"I'm off to the practice courts. You want to come?" Kel offered.

I was almost surprised she asked. She knew how little I enjoyed training. "I am about to commence four years obeying the call of a bruiser on a horse. I refuse to put down what might be the last book I see for months."

"I thought you wanted to be a squire," Kel pointed out in her practical way.

I could not stop the sigh that escaped my lips. "I want to fulfill Queenscove's duty to the Crown." I felt like I had explained this to her a million times before. "A knight from our house –"

"Has served the Crown for ages, is a pillar of his kingdom, I know, I know," she interrupted me before I could completely get started. Grinning on the inside because she was listening when I explained before, I placed a long suffering façade on my features and continued.

"Well, that's about being a _knight. _Squire is an intermediate step. It's a pain in the rump, but it's a passing pain. I don't have to like it. I'd as soon read." I gestured to my book that the dog was now gnawing on the edges. I yanked it out of his mouth. "Besides," I continued as I wiped the spit from the pages, "Father said to wait. Another knight's supposed to show up today. I hate it when Father gets mysterious."

And of course my father could not come out and tell me who the knight was. No, he had to set up an appointment with the knight. I imagined my father did not tell me who it was because he wanted me to show up. It was not difficult to realize that it had to be some country bumpkin knight who wanted to rise up in the world by being a knight master to a ducal house squire, and my father had not wanted to offend the knight. Father was overly kind, and it resulted with two many years of showing sympathy to patients who came to him for cures.

"Well, I'm going to go hit something," Kel said. "I can't sit around."

This admission caused me to sit up and pay attention. I found myself to be very selfish, worrying about country bumpkin knights when Kel had received no offers at all. Kel was bound to be upset by this lack of interest for her. I could feel painful pressure building around my heart and sympathy replacing my own conceited knight master worries.

I asked as gently as I could, "No one still?"

"I thought if I survived the big examinations, I'd be fine. I thought _somebody _would take me, even if I am The Girl." A slight expression crossed her face, and I knew she was bitterly disappointed. I wished I could do more, but at the moment I was limited to only give her hope.

"There are still knights in the field," I said. "You may be picked later this summer, or even this fall."

"I know," she said with a forced smile. "And until then I mean to practice. Last chance to collect bruises from me."

It was not an appetizing offer, and I shuddered when I remembered previous injuries courtesy of Kel. "Thanks. I've gotten all the bruises off you this year that I want."

"Coward," she called me and called Jump the dog off my bed. I grinned at her, but she missed it and turned away, already lost in her thoughts. I shrugged away my reply of "I try my best," I had for her accusation, and instead hungrily returned to my book.

A while later, though I couldn't be certain because I was so engrossed in my book, my father tapped lightly on the door frame to my room.

"Are you ready to go?" my father, Duke Baird of Queenscove, asked quietly after I got out of bed and stood before him.

"No, I just like to stand here and measure the differences in our heights," I said sarcastically. Of course I was ready, unless Father expected me to primp and change shoes.

"None of that tongue whilst you meet with this knight, do you understand me?" Father ordered sternly.

I felt my body ease into a familiar skulk. I could tell Father was worried about his meeting, and from his tone it was obvious this was very important. "Yes, Sir."

He eyed me for a moment, as if trying to decide if I was being serious. He nodded slowly and led me down the corridors of the palace.

"Where are we going?" Suspicion crept up my spine as we walked toward the Royal Wing of the palace. This wasn't the normal place to meet prospective knight masters. "The only reason we'd be going this way is if King Jonathan wanted me as his squire. King Jonathan didn't even want his own son, I can't imagine he'd want dear old me. On the other hand, I am an extraordinary specimen."

Father shook his head at me. "No, King Jonathan does not want you."

Ouch. I placed a hand on my heart. "Oh, please, do not soften your words for my sake! Then who, pray tell, desires my squiring abilities? Let's see, Queen Thayet, the King's Champion, Sir Gareth…" I trailed off slowly. Ice replaced the suspicion and I felt frozen with shock when my Father saw my expression and sped up. I opened my mouth but he cut me off abruptly.

"We're here." We were standing before the door of the king's office door. He knocked on the door and turned to me. "Behave," he ordered as the door opened. I couldn't believe he would order such a thing when I felt unable to utter a sentence that resembled anything contrary.

Seating casually behind the desk was King Jonathan IV of Conté, the co-ruler of the kingdom of Tortall. He flashed a kind smile at me, whom was feeling the blood drain from my face. There were three chairs placed in front of the desk and one was already occupied by a short and stocky red haired woman. She stood when we came in, and she gave a short bow to my father.

"Duke Baird," she said pleasantly.

"Sir Alanna," he greeted her and reached across them to shake hands.

"He doesn't look very surprised," Alanna observed. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No, no, Neal is a sharp lad; he figured it out by himself."

"I see," she said and turned her famed purple eyes back to the king. "Shall we get started?"

"Yes, please, sit," the king ordered.

I felt as if I entered some surreal nightmare. The lady knight was smiling at me and the king was dressed in comfortable clothes, and my father was looking pleased that I hadn't said anything yet and ruined whatever plans he had for me. I sat down with an ungraceful bump and noticed that I didn't feel anything. My whole body had become numb.

"As I am sure you've figured out," Alanna said, "I am interested in becoming your knight mistress." Slight uneasiness radiated from her. She had never had a squire before, and by her phrasing, she had never asked before either.

Knowing it was rude, but not caring, I stared at her like she took leave of her senses. This was all wrong. She wanted me, a late starting nineteen-year-old squire, who had a bad attitude and an acid tongue? "Neal, Nealan of Queenscove," I said. Maybe she got me confused with someone else.

"Yes, that is your name," her eyebrows came together in confusion.

"Nealan," Father murmured in warning when I continued to stare at her.

"Father, are you listening to her? She wants me – _me_ – to be her squire!"

"We all realize who I'm asking, squire," Sir Alanna said dryly.

"Then you've gone mad. Have you not realized that Keladry of Mindelan is also a squire this year? Remember her? The Girl Page?" I shook my head to clear it. Kel should have been the one at this meeting, not me.

"Yes, I remember her," Alanna snapped. She glared in the king's direction. I could tell she was trying her best to control her temper. "But this meeting isn't about her, it's about you."

"Is it?" I wasn't so sure. The lady knight was certain to know about our friendship. "Am I just the vessel so you can get closer to her?"

My father placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Neal, please do not be rude. I know Kel is your best friend, but this is the best arrangement."

"How? How could this possibly be the best arrangement? Don't you understand? It has been Kel's dream to be _her_ squire!" I jerked my thumb at the red-headed knight.

"Squire Keladry cannot be Alanna's squire. The people will believe that Alanna has helped Keladry win her shield by putting a spell on her or helping her in other unfair ways." King Jonathan explained calmly. I had temporarily forgotten he was in the room.

"Neal, listen to me," Sir Alanna said. "Your father has told me that you wished you had received more training as a healer. I can teach you everything you'll ever want to know about healing. This is why your father says it will be a good arrangement."

"Sir Alanna is one of the best," Father added. "You would get as a good a healer education from her as you would have received from the university."

"I still can't accept," I said, but my resolve was slightly weakening.

"And why ever not?" the lady knight said curtly. Her patience was wearing thin. Oh yes, this was a match made by the gods, I thought.

"You may be able to lie to your friends, but I can't," I told the Lioness. I hoped she understood the underlying insult about her lying about being male for eight years. By the color of her face, it was plain that she had. "It goes against my conscience that I get her role model as a knight mistress when she hasn't had any offers at all."

"Keladry is going to get a good offer soon," King Jonathan put in before the Lioness lost her temper. "Don't be concerned, she is well looked after."

I could not help but feel suspicion. This was the king that put Kel on probation in the first place.

"Trust us, squire," she ordered. "I personally have seen to it that she is not abandoned."

I paused to absorb this. "And you'll teach me healing?" I asked again, and then cursed myself for breaking.

Alanna actually grinned at me. "Everything you'll ever want to know and more."

"I think you should take Alanna's offer, Neal," Father voiced again. The king nodded his regal head in agreement.

I ran my hand through my hair. Kel was going to be crushed when she found out, which is why it was important that she hear it from me as soon as possible. I shook my head. I couldn't believe I was considering this. Alanna had a bad reputation for her temper, and I had a bad reputation for pushing tempers to their brink. And yet, no other knight with a considerable amount of healing skill had approached me. I closed my eyes at the thought of Kel's face when she heard the news… completely blank but with pain and turmoil just beneath the surface.

"Yes, I'll accept," I announced finally. I could feel my eyes blaze from the thought of trying to explain this to my best friend. She was so sweet sometimes and full of grand and noble ideals that I often bit back caustic remarks when she was around. I didn't want to break her heart.

"Good," Alanna answered and stood up. She tried to hold back a smile as she watched her new squire. "We will make arrangements for our departure later. In the meantime, Jonathan and I have a few things to discuss. If you will excuse us?"

"Of course," Father stood at once and shook hands with Alanna. "It has been a pleasure seeing you again. I suspect we will meet again soon. Come along, Nealan."

I snapped out of my revere at the sound of my full and hated name. "Do you take joy in calling me by that name, or do you honestly like it?" I complained as we exited the office.

"Naturally I take joy in torturing my son," he answered. "Now I must leave you and return to my patients." He patted me on the shoulder and turned down the left corridor to the healer's wing, leaving me to face Kel alone.


	2. The Lioness' family

**A/N: Yes, I know, I know. I said this would be a one shot... I lied. I just got this great idea with Neal spending time with George Cooper and family and getting involved in the spy games and I... couldn't help myself. Lol. So here's the next chapter, and yes, I am working on my other stories too, so don't worry, I just got over a bout of incredible and evil writer's block, but now I'm back on track. I hope you enjoy.**

Kel reacted better than I thought she would. She was angry, possibly the only time I've ever seen her truly and deeply angry, and yet she remained firmly rooted Kel. It was one of the many thing I admired about her, the ability to remain unshaken in any situation. I often wished I had that quality she possessed so easily.

Kel left a few days later with her new knight master, Lord Raoulof Goldenlake. I knew he would take care of her well. In the next week I tried my best to avoid my own new knight mistress, and read the rest of the books in the palace library before I departed.

A week after I became Lady Alanna's squire, she found me. "We're leaving tomorrow, Squire," she said as she leaned on the door frame of Kel's old room. It was completely vacant this summer, and I had thought she would not look here. Apparently someone directed her here, and I had the suspicion that it was my father. He always had to be so helpful. He loved finding ways to torture me, and finally found the ultimate punishment in the form of Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau.

"Thanks for the notice," I said dryly. I put my book aside but remained lying down. I was purposefully testing the limits of the Lioness. "Why didn't you wait tomorrow to spring it on me instead? It would have given me about the same amount of time to prepare."

Her violet eyes began to smolder slightly. "Up, Squire," she ordered sharply. "When I enter a room, I require you to give me due respect and stand. You will also address me respectfully."

"As you wish, my lady," I replied and pulled myself out of bed slowly. I towered over her small frame. She didn't seem to like me addressing her as a lady from the look on her face, but she paused in indecision over what I should call her instead.

"Sir?" I suggested. "My lord would not do, and I imagine calling you "My Mistress" may give gossipers the wrong idea about us."

To both of our surprise, she grinned. "I think you are quite right about that." She frowned suddenly and her light red eyebrows creased together. "Then you are fully aware of the rumors our arrangement will cause? My past experiences as a squire were not exactly… chaste," she said finally. I knew it was a slight understatement. Everyone knew now of the love affair between King Jonathan and at that time, his Squire Alan.

"I understand," I told her honestly, just as I knew the rumors would spread about Kel and Lord Raoul. It made me grin at the irony; I would share the intrigue of the Court with Kel for the next few years.

"Something funny, Squire?" Lady Alanna asked dryly as she observed me from her place by the door.

"No, ma'am," I amswered, then quickly changed my mind. "Actually, I was thinking how this year Kel and I will be the topic of many conversations."

Lady Alanna's smirk faded into a shadow of a sad smile. "If life were fair, none of this would have happened."

"You of all people know that life isn't," I told her pointedly and crossed my arms.

"Yes," she said and her voice grew distant. "But it has always been my duty to make it so."

"Then perhaps it is Kel's turn to make it fair." Sir Alanna said nothing for a while. I knew she wished she had Kel instead of me, and I wasn't hurt by it. I understood her perfectly: I was the second choice.

"My lady? Uh, sir? Lady Alanna?" I still wasn't certain what she wanted to be addressed as. "Did you have anything else to tell me?"

She shook her head to clear it. "We leave at noon tomorrow. Be ready, and pack all the things you'll need for the summer. We are traveling to Pirate's Swoop." She turned around and began to walk out when she hesitated and looked over her shoulder. "Call me Lioness," she said and she went on her merry way.

Lioness. I shrugged and pulled out a large pack from underneath the bed. I had called her that for years now, but not to her face, and certainly not as a term of respect. But if that made her happy, then who was I to argue? Why, Nealan of Queenscove, of course.

The trip to Pirate's Swoop was an uneventful, three day ride without stopping by Port Caynn. Pirate's Swoop was a sturdy fief on the coast, a day ride from the large port. It wasn't built to be pretty or extravagant or big, instead, it was a small and reliable defense fief against pirates.

The Baron came out to greet us as we trotted into the courtyard.

"Ah," he said as the Lioness and I dismounted. "So it seems my lass did snatch herself a squire after all. Nealan of Queenscove, is it?" His tone suggested he wasn't quite sure, but when I met his eyes I had the strangest feeling he knew almost everything about me. I had met him several times before in social situations, but for the most part, the Baron George Cooper kept to himself.

"Neal, please, my lord." He offered his hand and I took it, and we measured each other up with the strength of our grips. I surmised he was strong, a hard worker, but wasn't direct in his way of handling things. I don't know what information he got from me, but whatever it was made him smile at me.

"Please, I'm just a humble baron, you must call me George." He released my hand but continued to study me. I raised my chin up a bit and gave him my loftiest noble's look. I knew he was an upstart commoner parading around as a noble because he married Alanna. Unfortunately, that's all the information anyone could ever find on him. He caught my look and raised his eyebrow at me.

"George," the Lioness said with a warning note in her voice.

"Yes, lass." He gave a mocking bow to me. "Forgive me, Neal," he said and motioned with his arm towards the house with a sweeping motion. "Let old, common-born me get your bags. The stable boys will see t' your horse."

"I'll see to my own horse and bags, thank you." I didn't like the court game George Cooper was playing, and I was determined not to appear the fool.

"Of course, lad, of course."

"Mama!" a voice cried from a window up above. A flash of blonde disappeared and the voice game a muffled shout, "Mama's here!"

Within a few moments, three children stumbled out of the door and into the courtyard. There was a tall and gangly red headed boy who looked about thirteen, and two twins, a girl and boy who looked about eleven or twelve.

I began leading my horse away as the children greeted their mother. "Squire, wait," she said and turned to her children. "This is Nealan of Queenscove, and he's going to stay with us this summer."

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I thought I would finally get away from children in this age group and get to be around adults and people my own age. Such a foolish thing to hope for, I guess.

"Neal, this is Alianne –"

"Aly, Mother."

"Aly, Alan, and Thom."

"Nice to meet you," I said with a smile. The least I could do was be polite, especially when they would probably be my only companions this summer.

Thom, the redhead, nodded shyly at me and Alan offered me a small smile.

"Aren't you polite," the girl, Aly said with a grin. "And Da said you were known for your sarcasm." I had a feeling I wasn't going to disappoint her.

"For being a humble Baron, your father is very well informed about my personality," I said with a suspicious glance at George. "You are kind to remember me, sire."

I am a suspicious person by nature. There are very few people I trust at all, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I faced the fact long ago that people are seldom kind, good and honorable. The few people that are tend to believe in the Knight's Code of Chivalry and other such nonsense such as people being good at heart. I am proud not be so disillusioned. Even the people that do believe in Codes of Chivalry aren't always good. The Stump, for example. He was very cruel at times and he was a stickler for fairness and doing the honorable thing. Kel is another idealist who believes in the good of mankind, but she's young yet. Someday she'll grow cruel or realize that others are naturally and intentionally cruel to others. I praypersistently for the latter.

For the most part, I trusted myself to know that people always have ulterior motives and they are never how they first appear. I fail in the second lesson more times than I want to admit, but I am getting better at it. Especially for my view of the Baron. He was more than just Alanna's common-born husband, but I didn't know what.

"Come Nealan, we must see to our horses," Lady Alanna said with a tight lipped smile. I could feel George's eyes burning a hole through my head as I followed my knight mistress to the stables.

"I need to speak with you, and I should have said this before we arrived. My husband is… he likes his privacy. Don't bother him, and I will make sure he doesn't bother you. He likes to follow court intrigue, it amuses him." She hesitated before barreling on. "You will see and hear many strange things while you are here. Take no interest in them, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Lioness." Oh, Mithros, where have I landed myself? "Though I suggest if this family has a secret to keep, you try a little harder."

"It's not often we have visitors who aren't… close." The Linoess frowned and shook her head. "I have other things to see to, so finish my horse, and you'd better do a fine job with him too."

"Yes, ma'am."

"None of that tone," she snapped then strode towards the house.


	3. Training with the Lioness

It had been late in the afternoon when we had arrived, and I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately after Alanna showed me my room. It was in the children's hall, but I didn't mind, I knew Alanna wanted privacy and I was more than willing to give the temperamental knight all the space she desired.

The Lioness had told me she wanted to spend the summer at home with her family, for Thom was going to the university for the first time at the end of the summer. It would be the last time they would be together for a while.

"That does not mean," she told me sharply, "that you will not practice healing or training. Every morning at seven I will train with you, and then twice a week we will go to the village and I will teach you to cure every ill we find."

"Yes, Lioness," I said. "I look forward to it." I was being sarcastic, but only truly acting partially patronizing. Finally I would learn hands on healing.

I woke with little light streaming in through the shutters. I had an inside room facing the courtyard, which meant I had the pleasure of a window. There were no windows facing the outside. I now lived in a small but clean room with just enough space for me to take three steps to the door from my bed, though they were small steps. It wasn't too bad, I suppose, compared to the threat the Lioness had given me on the way to Pirate's Swoop that I was to sleep with the donkeys since I acted like one. I then asked her if, with that logic, she would be sleeping with the female hounds, and then she sent me out to dig trenches without a shovel or tool of any kind. I guess she cooled down later, for she gave me the room, or maybe she was trying to act like a real knight mistress.

Either way, I was now staying here for two months, but I was going to watch my mouth a little more carefully when her temper reared too. I was never going to admit it to anyone, but she was a little frightening when she was angry. Unlike the Stump, my father, or any other adult I had ever dealt with, she lost her temper immediately and lashed out with stinging insults, pure heated rage, and unfair physical labor. I had a feeling it was going to take weeks to get the dirt out from beneath my fingernails.

I dunked my head in a basin of water to draw out the sleep from my eyes. Mithros' beard, I _hated_ mornings.

"Squire!" a voice hissed at me from the hallway. Three guesses as to who it was. "Are you up and ready yet?"

"Yes, Lioness." I opened the door and saw the sag of weariness in her eyes. She wasn't much of a morning person either.

"Well, hurry up, we don't have all morning."

"It's so nice to have people who are happy to see you," I muttered as I turned to gather my weapons.

She laughed. "I would be happy to see you if the phrase, "beauty sleep," actually worked on you, Squire."

"Ah, we agree on something at last," I replied. She grinned, looking more cheerful than I had seen her in days. Maybe this could work after all. I followed her down the hall to the main gate.

"Come on, Squire, if you work hard this morning and manage to stay on my good side, I might show you where the library is."

"See, Lioness, now you're catching on. Bribes are always good," I teased.

"I'm glad to be an apt pupil," she said dryly.

"You two are lookin' very cheery this mornin'," a familiar voice said from behind us.

"George," the Lioness said and she went up to kiss him. The man was leading a chestnut colored mare towards the stables. He looked tired and dirty, but still happy to see his wife.

"Where did you go? When I woke up you were gone," Alanna murmered.

George gave a meaning flick of his hazel eyes in my direction that Alanna caught and stiffened as a result, but to her credit, she didn't turn around and gape at me.

"I'm sorry, lass. I was out; I needed a ride to clear my mind. Go work with your fine squire there, and we'll talk later."

"Yes, we will talk," she said with a frown in her tone. She fingered a cut in his sleeve that was crusted with dried blood. "Extensively," she added.

"Come, Neal," she snapped at me. So much for her good mood.

"Good mornin', Neal," he wished me with a nod of his head and a charming smile.

I sighed. "It was until she saw you."

"Neal!" Alanna barked when she realized I wasn't following.

"Yes, good luck would be more appropriate now, I fear."

"Then good luck, Neal, if you will return the favor for when she hunts down me."

I looked him in the eyes where traces of a smile lay. "Then good luck, sir."

"Squire! Stop socializing and get down here!"

"Yes, Lioness, at once, Lioness."

"None of that tone! And since you are so eager, we begin with the sword!"

"Mithros help you, Master Neal," George said as he turned away laughing. "You will sorely need it when my lioness is in a temper with a sword."

"Thanks," I muttered as I jogged swiftly to the practice court. It was smaller than the ones at the palace or at my home by far, but it was still spacious enough for two people to par easily and move around.

She held the sword naked in her hand and was already waiting in the ready position when I arrived.

"So, Squire, you decided to show up."

My own anger began to rise to the surface at her words. I could only take so much verbal abuse before I snapped. My drowsiness had made my usual tolerance much longer than normal.

"It appears I have, Lioness. How gracious of you to wait so patiently for me to arrive."

"Draw your sword, Squire, and let's see how much training you recall."

I placed my collection of weapons in the far corner so I would not trip over them later. I retrieved my sword and returned to my lovely knight mistress. Perhaps both of us with weapons and in a temper was not the best idea, I thought as I got into the ready position.

She struck without warning, immediately forcing me to go on the defensive. Make no mistake, fencing is not a bad skill, and I am fairly good at it as fencers go. I am not the worst by far, but I'm scarcely the best by any stretch of judgment. Thus, it was unfortunate that I had to par against such an extraordinary fencer. It made me look bad. Well, to put it lightly anyway.

Within a few moments, my sword was in her hand, I was flat on my back, and a painful shallow cut existed on my cheek I was certain hadn't been there before.

"Pitiful, absolutely pitiful."

These words stung worse than the cut on my cheek. Despite the pain, I jumped to my feet and went to gather my weapons, fuming. She had no right to treat me like this.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Back to bed," I snapped.

"We are not done here."

I turned and glared at her. "Yes, we are."

I walked halfway to the exit of the practice court before I dropped my things in a clattering pile on the floor and faced her. "And until you control your temper, I will not fight against you. I did not become your squire to be humiliated, nor did I become your squire so you could lash out your anger on me!" I flapped my arms around me in an irritated fashion to accent my point. "You said you would teach me, Lioness, not use me as a focus for your temper!"

"Of all the…" she trailed off with heat in her words. "If you leave, I will send you back to the palace and make sure no one else takes you."

"Please do," I said. "There are enough conservatives out there that would take me just because you told them not to. That is not a threat, Lioness, that is encouragement."

I walked across the courtyard and returned to my room to pack. There was a soft knock at the door after I started folding my tunics.

"Neal," Alanna said as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Yes, my _lady_?" I also did not rise from my position on the bed. I was feeling slightly vindictive.

She sighed. "Don't be ornery, I'm trying to apologize. It is hard enough without you testing my control." I stacked my tunics in the bag and reached for my shirts. "Oh, for the Goddess' sake, stop packing. You're not going anywhere and you know it!"

"Do I?"

She turned a deep red color. "I promise not to take my anger out on you on the practice courts if you promise to improve with your sword." I gave her a quizzical look and she explained. "I am known for my skill with the blade. If I have a squire who is mediocre or below average, it makes me look bad."

"I see," I said slowly.

"You promise, then?"

"If you hold your end to the deal, yes, I promise."

"Good." She looked mildly happier. "May I?" She gestured for the bed and I nodded.

"Now your balance is very good, but your defensive technique is lacking…" And she lectured me for an hour, gave demonstrations, and made me takes notes on it. It would have been funny that the Lioness was teaching me in a university style lecture if it wasn't so effective. She really did know what she was talking about when it came to sword fighting.

"I think it's time for breakfast, don't you agree?"

"Never with anything more in my life." My stomach had been growling painfully for ten minutes.

"I'm going to go wake up Thom and Alan, do you remember the way to the Dining Hall?"

"I think I'll manage not to get too lost," I assured her. We parted, her to the end of the hall while I headed in the general direction of the Dining Hall. I was nearing Aly's room when I heard voices.

"…Careful what you say. He's sharper than I'd thought he'd be."

"Yes, Da," Aly opened the door wide and walked into the hallway. Her face went carefully expressionless at the sight of me, and George followed her out and reacted the same way. He was the first to recover, and a split second later he broke into a wide smile.

"Good mornin' again, Neal. It's good to see you survived trainin'."

"Barely," I admitted. "I'm sorry, I just can't remember where the Dining Hall is." I gave them an embarrassed smile. It was the partial truth at least.

Aly snapped into a bright and cheery smile. "Silly Neal, it's not hard to find at all. It's through the second hall on the right, and just look for the statue of the cat."

"I was kind of tired yesterday, so my memory is a little faded."

"I'm surprised my mother didn't heal that," Aly pointed to my face. I reached up and touched the cut on my cheek. I had forgotten about it. "Ask her before breakfast," she advised me.

"No need," I replied and reached for my green magic. I let it flow from my fingers until the cut healed over into a clean scar.

"Impressive," George commented.

"Thank you."

"I can see why Alanna wanted you. She wished that she could instruct someone in the finer points of healing."

"It's why I accepted actually." It was strange, but I thought he would know something about my healing abilities. Maybe I misjudged him once more.

"Come on, Da, Cook will be angry if we're late again and the food grows cold." Aly pulled on his arm lightly.

"You go on ahead, Aly, we'll be there in a moment." I saw her eyes slightly widen but she obeyed her father and ran off.

George gestured me into Aly's room. I hesitated before following. "Yes?" I asked suspiciously.

"I don't want Alanna to see a particular cut, and I hope you could heal it for me. It would be a great favor, and I would be in your debt," he spoke rapidly and quietly. He lifted the edge of his shirt to a large bandage very hear to his heart. "If my lass saw I let someone get this close…" He left it unfinished. I saw how she reacted when she saw the shallow cut on his arm. "Please, Neal." I saw real pleading in his eyes.

I nodded reluctantly. "If she finds out, she'll kill us both, you know."

"Yes, but she still wouldn't know how deep it was," George hissed as he peeled the blood-soaked bandage off his chest. He was well muscled, a fighter's chest.

It _was_ deep. I sighed. "You owe me."

He met my gaze with the most serious eyes I had ever seen. "No one hears of this, then yes, anything you need."

I nodded, and then reached deep inside for more magic. It took a long time, and by the time the skin smoothed, the room spun and I staggered away. George caught me before I hit the floor and sat me down on Aly's bed. I put my head between my knees and took deep breaths, willing myself not be sick.

He looked concerned but I waved at him tiredly. "I'll be fine as long as I don't heal anymore today." Something crossed his face and I groaned. "Oh, no. She's not taking me down to the village to heal today, is she?"

"Sorry, lad, that's what she told me last night."

I sighed and the bright colors of the room swirled.

"What will give you back your magic?" asked George calmly. He put his shirt back on and tucked the bandage away.

"Another strong healer's energy," I said. Salt water never worked for me, and truthfully, time to recuperate was the only real solution, but a healer's energy did help.

"Alanna?"

"Of course. Though she'll ask where my magic went."

"Your cut?" he suggested.

I just looked at him. "Yes, this will be a grand introduction to my Gift if I nearly pass out from healing a shallow cut." George put his hands up in surrender.

"I'll think of something, don't worry about it," I muttered. I sat up slowly and got to my feet. "Eating will help too," I added. It wasn't my nature to be optimistic, but when it came to my knight mistress' temper, I was interested in converting.


	4. Healing with the Lioness

**A/N: Thank you all for my reviews! Really, you all spoil me. ;-) Thanks Erutanie for finding the typo, meh, I can't believe I missed that. :-P Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

The Baron led me to the Dining Hall in silence. I could tell from the concentration on his face that he was trying to create some scheme to get me and him out of the Lioness' wrath. The best of luck to him, because I had no ideas coming to mind. I didn't know the Lioness too well, but I knew her enough to know half of my ideas wouldn't work on the skeptical knight. With my earlier act of reluctance she was ready for me to try something to get out of healing with her.

I sat next to the boy Alan who looked at me with curiosity filling his hazel eyes. I could tell he was dying to ask me questions, but he kept his mouth closed and watched me with wonder in his eyes.

Throughout the meal, Aly chatted amiably with her father with the occasional curt or witty remark from her mother. The other boy Thom stayed quiet the entire breakfast meal, but he looked happy enough just watching and observing.

"Are you going to go to the university like your brother?" I asked Alan finally. I was not used to being silent during meals, and I had nothing to add to the other conversation.

"Oh, no," said Alan shyly, and he ducked his blond head. "I'm going to be a knight soon too."

I frowned. Maybe I had misjudged his and Aly's ages earlier. Both of them should have started their respective schools if they were the age they looked, and I had never seen Alan before at the palace.

"How old are you?"

"I'm eleven, eleven and a half," he said proudly.

I smiled. He reminded me slightly of the little ones I spent so much time with at the palace. He appeared a very young Faleron, with a mixture of Owen and Seaver. "So why haven't you started yet?"

His smile faded a little. "It won't be a problem if I start late, will it? I mean, you started late. Was it hard?" He looked anxious and worried.

"It's usually not a problem, "I assured him. "How late do you plan on starting?"

"Another year or two. See, I'm spending all this time with the Bloody Hawk tribe and it's so much fun and I'm learning so much and they say once I'm thirteen I can become a man of the tribe and commune with the Voice and help make decisions and…"

"He babbles when he gets nervous or excited," Thom leaned over and whispered to me while his brother went on. It was the first time I had heard him speak.

"I hadn't noticed," I muttered under my breath so only he could hear. He smiled uncertainly at me.

"That sounds great," I interrupted the younger boy. "So you want to start after you turn thirteen? That sounds fine, Alan. I started when I was fifteen and I made it." Barely. Without Kel, I don't think I would have survived. I did not tell that to the hopeful Alan though.

"My lady," a maid said from the doorway. A man is here t' see you. He says 'tis an emergency."

Alanna frowned and rose from her seat. "Tell him to come in."

The woman moved to the left and a balding commoner entered. He was wringing a gray cap in his hands and wore an apprehensive expression on his lined face.

"My lady, 'tis my wife. She is in labor and the midwife is terribly ill. It has been over fifteen hours and the baby is not coming."

"Nadya, my bag, please?" The maid scurried off. "Come, Squire."

I felt the color drain from my face. "W—what?"

"You said you wanted to learn healing, that is what we are going to do." She patted her mouth delicately with the napkin and then walked to the door. "Are you coming?"

I gave a long blink and she was gone. I stumbled out of my chair to the door when she shrieked, "Neal!" and followed her to saddle the horses. Nadya rushed out and handed her the medical bad as we were finishing saddling the horses.

"I can't help you with a delivery!" I found my tongue as we, including the man, exited the main gate. "I don't know anything about it!"

"That is why I will be teaching you," Alanna explained impatiently. She turned away from me to the commoner. "Do you live in the village?"

"No, my lady. We live in a farmhouse on the edge of that ridge."

"Very good," she replied absently. She then began asking all these questions: is this your first child, how far apart the contractions were, that sort of thing. Some I didn't want to know the answer to.

"Are you paying attention, Squire?" she snapped at me.

"Yes, Lioness." I gulped dry air.

"The information he is giving me is very important to solving what the problem is. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Lioness." Not really, but I was feeling too lightheaded to be too disagreeable.

"This is it," the man announced as we arrived at a clearing with a small house in the center. It was small and had a thatched roof, but it looked well taken care of, with a nice garden out front.

A teenaged girl with wispy hair ran out into the yard. "She's here!" she called into the house.

We tied our horses' reins to a post and I followed the Lioness into the house. There was a table with chairs, and in the corner a bed with very pregnant woman rested on her back with her knees up and far apart. We rounded the table to stand right before the woman. I took one look and my stomach lurched violently.

"Goddess!" I looked away and put a hand over my mouth, trying not to be sick. The lioness took a chair and placed it next to the woman's head so she could sit and verify the facts.

"Very good," she patted her arm soothingly. "This will be all over soon." I looked up from my position on another chair, which consisted of my head beneath my knees while breathing deeply. I hoped the Lioness was right.

"Neal, come closer so you can see," she ordered. She stood at the foot of the bed in front of the woman's legs. I shook my head. I did _not_ want to see.

"Neal," she said with an edge of warning in her voice. "Get over here, Squire."

"Oh, gods," I whispered, but I obeyed.

"Now, see this here? This sometimes occurs in a woman's first birthing. The baby has gotten stuck in the wrong position." I had only eyes for the Lioness. "What we need to do is turn the baby in the womb with our magic. Now, put your hand on her abdomen—"

"Put my hand _where_?" My voice cracked slightly.

"Oh, for the Goddess' sake, Neal," she snapped. She grabbed my hand and held it against the woman's bloated belly. "Now, I'm going to move the baby around, and you feel it with your Gift, do you understand?"

I reached for my magic, forgetting until that moment that it was almost used up. "Uh, Lioness?"

"Neal, I'm trying to concentrate. Be quiet, and don't break it unless it's an emergency." I felt her violet magic move the baby around until its head was moved to the – to the right position. Oh, gods. I felt Alanna's magic begin the contractions until the natural ones picked up. Alanna pulled her hand off and I followed her example, feeling the room spin unnaturally.

The woman moaned as the contractions became more violent.

"Push," the Lioness urged. "Squire, hold her hand, please."

I held my hand out to her and she gripped it with such a strength my fingers turned purple. "Ooooowwww!" I yelled and tried to yank my fingers loose.

"C'mon, Neal," the Lioness said with a touch of wickedness in her serious voice. "Surely you are man enough to handle a woman's pain."

"Stop patronizing me! You're not the one getting your fingers crushed off!"

"Don't be silly, I'll reattach any fingers she takes off." The woman's hold relaxed and I removed my hand quickly before the next contraction rolled in. I cradled my bruised hand with the other.

"You," I snapped at the teenaged girl who stood to the side looking worried. "Get the father in here so he can hold her hand."

"A man in the birthin' area?" The girl cried.

"I'm a man, aren't I?"

"Neal, just keep holding the woman's hand. It'll be over before you know it."

"Lioness, you told me to watch and learn what you are doing. How can I do that if I am up here holding this woman's hand?" I said in my most reasonable voice.

"We can't let a man see the birthin'!" cried the girl again.

"Fine, then you hold her hand," the Lioness ordered. The mother went into another wave of pain and her harsh breathing intensified.

The girl glanced at my hand. "I'll go get Derrick," she said and ran out. Derrick came in looking very uncomfortable. I knew how he felt.

"Derrick, take your wife's hand and hold it no matter what happens. You did this to her, so you can share some of the pain."

"Yes, my lady." His wife clutched at his hand and he winced.

"Neal, come up here," she gestured me to the foot of the bed. "Now, the baby is coming. Can you see the head there?" she said, and then urged the woman to push. I looked down to where she was staring. The saw the baby's head, the same one I saw in the womb. "Oh, Gods," I whispered, and a terrible silence shut out the woman's labored breathing before my world went completely black.

-----------

I woke to the sounds of a baby wailing somewhere off in the distance. There was a deep thudding pain at the side of my head and the air smelled like blood and other liquids. I opened my eyes and found myself on a dirt floor, staring at the thatched roof above me.

I groaned and tried to move. "Ah, Neal," a voice said to my upper left. I looked up into the mirth filled violet eyes of the Lioness. She was drying her hands off with a hand towel. "It's so nice of you to finally wake up."

"What happened?" I asked and gave up trying to get up. I touched a hand to my tender head and winced. My hand came back wet with blood and my head pounded like someone took an axe to my head.

"You fainted and hit your head against the table," she informed me with a grin. Well I'm glad _she_ was enjoying herself.

"Oh, great," I muttered instead. I'm glad I didn't embarrass myself the first day of healing with my teacher. That would have been slightly traumatic.

She laughed. "You'll be fine. I'll settle in the mother a bit more, and then I'll tie you to your saddle so we can get home." She wandered back and I raised my head to see a smiling mother and father holding a very ugly baby. In fact, it was the ugliest baby I had ever seen; all red and wrinkling looking.

"What a beautiful little girl," the Lioness said. She should have been a Player, the parents actually believed her.

Soon she came back and she and the husband lifted me and took me outside. True to her word, she tied me to my saddle.

"You have a concussion," she told me when I protested. "I won't have you falling off your horse and making it worse."

"Then why won't you heal me now?"

"After healing a concussion, a person needs to sleep for several hours. Wouldn't rather sleep in your bed than on the ground? And until then, I can't let you sleep. Remember that when dealing with concussions. If you let a person fall asleep too long without healing him first, he may never wake up again."

"Oh," I said. I was still too disoriented to truly keep up with my part of the conversation.

"Thank you," the man said. "If there was a way to repay you for your kindness…"

The Lioness waved the words away. "If you show loyalty to my family and me, that is all the thanks I need. Come, Squire." The man waved to us as we rode away from the clearing.

I sat gloomily on the ride back. So much for good first impressions.

Alanna sighed. "Don't look so glum, Neal. You're neither the first nor the last to pass out at a delivery."

"Did you pass out at your first?"

"Well, no, but…" she hesitated.

"What?"

"I did pass out once, at something much more embarrassing than seeing my first birthing." She took a deep breath. "I fainted after I got my ears pierced."

I sat on my horse in shock. "You're teasing me, right?"

She turned a deep scarlet. "No."

I smiled weakly at her. I began to store it to my memory for good blackmail later when I stopped. The Lioness had told me one of her more embarrassing moments to make me feel better. It felt cruel to use the information against her in the future that she offered so freely.

"Let me offer you a peace treaty. If you promise not to tell anyone about this, I won't tell anyone about your ear piercing story."

She smiled. "You surprise me, Neal," she said. "We have an agreement."

When we rode into the courtyard, George Cooper was waiting for us. By the carefully bland expression he held, I knew that he wanted to know if my earlier spending of magic was discovered. I have him a nod, hoping he understood the gesture. He saw it and his careful mask turned into a welcoming smile so easily I found myself feeling impressed by his skill.

"How did it go?" he asked as he helped his wife down.

"Well," she answered and gave him a light peck on his lips. "Will you help me get Neal inside?"

George's eyes widened slowly as he moved closer and could see the full beauty of my head. "What happened t' him?"

"We had an accident. My fault entirely, and I'd rather not talk about it. I tied him to his saddle, so if you could loosen that side?" My head throbbed with intensity as they pulled me out of my saddle and carried me inside.

A few male servants rushed forward when they saw the lord and lady of the house carrying a body, and they took me upstairs toward my room.

"Are you up to healin' him after the excitement this mornin'?" George asked pointedly as the Lioness cleaned the wound on my head.

"No," she admitted. "Which is why I'm going to use stitches."

"Stitches?" I echoed.

"Don't be squeamish; I'll make sure you're out first. Besides, we'll be able to take them out in a few days, and then we can have a stitches lesson. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Not especially," I grumbled. She slopped on a cloth soaked with alcohol on my head roughly. "OW!"

"Oops, how careless of me," she said.

"Come now, dear, you should be nicer to your squire, he's had a rough day," George said. Alanna snorted but said nothing.

"Yes, Lioness," I said. I left a warning in my voice.

"Don't use that tone with me. He knows about my earrings episode anyway," she said. "Now, just relax, I'm going to put you asleep."

"Your word I will wake up again?" I asked suspiciously.

She looked offended. "Of course. I didn't get a squire just so I could kill him off less than two weeks later. Trust me, if I meant to kill you I would have done it on the way here and then claimed you ran away or got killed by bandits. Now, relax."

"How do you do it? Make me feel so loved and protected. It's amazing; it must be your gentle turn of phrase or your calming conversation skills. Really, it's fantastic."

"You're purposefully testing my patience. I _can_ make this hurt, you know," she pointed out.

I nodded and willed myself to take deep breaths and relax. George winked at me while Alanna let sweet darkness flow across my mind and restful sleep reign.


	5. The opportunity

**A/N: Yes, yes, it's been a long time since I last updated, and I apologize. My muses have returned after a long vacation, and we met up at the Renaissance Faire yesterday. Hopefully they won't leave me for quite a while. **

I woke in the middle of the night with a hunger so strong I could have eaten a griffin. Cooked, of course, I think raw would just make me sick, especially when I could still feel the effects of strong pain reducing magic. Moaning, I pulled myself out of bed and tried to find my shoes. I had no idea how long I had been out, but my head continued to ache steadily. I put my hand to my head and sighed with relief when I felt my magic seep from my fingers to soothe the pain.

I yanked on some woolen socks that my younger sister had made for me for Midwinter last year. She was the same age as Kel, but Enthera could never be a page. _Nor could she ever have sock knitting as a profession, _I thought as my feet itched from the unevenly knitted wool. But they were warm, so I could not complain too much as my feet patted down the cool stone hallways.

I stumbled across the kitchen and began searching for something I didn't have to cook. I could cook, as all the pages were taught how, and I could create an edible product, which was more than some of the other boys, but who likes to cook when they don't have to? After searching through the pantry, I managed to find a loaf of bread and some cheese. I hoped the cook wouldn't mind my "borrowing".

Movement in the corner of the kitchen caught my eyes. "Thom," I called before he ducked away. "What are you doing up?"

"I heard noises and I came to investigate. I see you were successful in your foray." He looked awkward and nervous, but I waved him over to join me. It wasn't often that I heard a boy use the vocabulary that he did, especially at the palace, but it was very nice to hear. For once I wouldn't have to explain what I was saying to those of that age group a dozen times over, or worse, be ignored because they didn't understand. I also wanted to know what happened while I was asleep, and from my experience, the eldest child tended to know the most.

I cut him a slice of bread and he politely declined the cheese. "You have been unconscious for the entire day," Thom told me around a large chunk of bread.

"Just today, or the rest of yesterday and today?"

"The rest of yesterday and today. Can you get me some milk? Cook likes to hide it up high so we can't reach it." He pointed to a cold box placed high up on a shelf that I had not noticed earlier. I pulled a chair over and only managed to open the cold box while leaning forward on my toes.

"Why on earth does she place it so high?" I grumbled as I poured the cold liquid into two glasses. The cook was a very tall woman, taller than I was, but this was ridiculous.

"Because one time Aly convinced Alan and me that Cook enchanted the milk to make people grow taller. Cook was in charge of the milk which was why so was so tall, and she only gave one glass at dinner time to us children so that we might grow, but never as tall as her. One day when Cook was busy, Alan, Aly and I stole all the milk and drank five bottles of it. Aly loved milk, which was probably her reason for having us steal it in the first place. Cook never quite forgave us for stealing the milk."

"That seems a bit extreme," I said dryly while pouring another glass of milk for myself.

Thom shrugged and looked hungrily at the bread. I could see in his eyes that he was not allowed to eat so much late, but I cut another slice for him. I recalled how hungry I was all the time when I was his age.

"Did the man really hit you with a chair when he thought Mama was hurting his wife?" Thom asked, wide eyed.

Oh, so that was the story. It was actually quite creative and made me appear stronger and manlier, but that was not so hard considering the truth. I certainly did not mind the tale that the Lioness created. "Yes."

"Oh, really?" An amused voice said from the shadows. George appeared suddenly next to me at the table, making me jump slightly.

"Really," I countered. "You underestimate me, sir?" I was hoping he'd say no and the subject would be dropped, and I was certainly hoping Alanna did not tell her husband the real truth. The more I talked to the Baron the more I respected and liked him, despite his common-born blood. It was embarrassing enough knowing the Lioness would never forget it.

He studied me, a slight smile on his lips. "Yes," he replied finally. I think I do." I stared at him like he took leave of his senses. What in all of Tortall was he talking about? His tone suggested at an underlying topic, but what that topic was, only he knew.

"I think it's time for you to return to your sleep, lad," he ordered Thom quietly. "Finish your bread and say good night."

"Yes, Da." Thom gulped the rest of his bread and gave a silly salute to his father. For some reason he acted young for his age, or at least it was the impression I received.

"Shouldn't you be gettin' to bed too, Master Neal?" He raised his eyebrows at me. "You did go through a major healin'."

Thanks for reminding me, I wouldn't have remembered otherwise, I thought grouchily to myself. Oh yes, the throbbing head might be an indicator. "In a moment, I'd like to talk to you first." His left eyebrow rose up and I got the idea that he was laughing silently at me. I was glad to be so amusing.

"I hope you remember the reason why I was so drained of my magic that I passed out?"

His face sobered. "I do." So Alanna did tell him the truth about me passing out. It annoyed me slightly.

"I would like an explanation, Master George." I played mockingly on his title for me. "You owe me that much; otherwise, I fear your wife may find out accidentally. My tongue does let things slip from time to time. These things do happen. Unfortunately, of course."

Surprisingly, he laughed. "Are you really so careless with your words?" He smiled at me as if I were his son. He shook his head at me in a humorous and friendly way and I felt completely lost. "Let's make this a competition, a challenge if you will." He leaned forward in anticipation. "If you can find out how I managed to get hurt before summer's end, then I give you ten gold crowns and an invitation."

"An invitation to what?"

"That is part of the secret." His smile widened. "If you lose, I win ten gold crowns, and any free, no questions asked, healin's whilst you're at Pirate's Swoop."

"All right then," I said uncertainly. It wasn't within me to turn down a challenge that I could win through my wits.

"First limitations. No searching through my areas. I would suggest not questionin' me wife, but I would think you would want to live to summer's end." His face turned serious again. "And don't pressure the children too much. They won't tell you straight out, even under pressure, but we want it to be a relaxing summer, don't we?" He held out his hand to me. "Do we have an agreement, Master Neal?"

It didn't seem fair that one side of the agreement still felt the lingering sensation of strong pain reducing magic, but I shook his hand anyway. What did I have to lose, anyway? At least he was giving me permission to find out the real truth which was more than Alanna gave me to feed my curiosity.

His grin was so contagious I could not help but smile a little sardonically in reply. "I believe we do, Baron."

Later that night I wondered briefly about my sanity. If the Lioness ever guessed that I was snooping around looking to solve the puzzle of George, it would be painful. Asking the Lioness, which George warned me against, would be suicidal, and it seemed cruel to try and trick any information out of the children. There was nothing left next to listening in on conversations, or asking visitors who came. Neither seemed promising. How would I ever find out the secret of the Cooper family?


	6. The Queen and Ears

There was a loud rapping on the door before it burst open. I groaned and rolled away from the sight of the redheaded woman in the doorway, silently cursing her existence.

"Ah," she said with a wickedly gleeful note in her grave voice, "you're awake. Good, time for me to take your stitches out."

The woman had a sadistic sense of humor. "Go away."

"George told me you were up last night so I know you're well enough. Come, laddybuck," she said with a badly formed country accent. "Th' day's 'alf gone! Th' queen and th' Riders will be 'ere in a few hours."

"What?" I cried and flipped over to stare at her. She motioned me to sit up and then took the chair next to my bed.

"Yes, Thayet will be visiting for a few days with her Riders." A pair of wicked-looking scissors appeared in her right hand while her left pulled the hair back from my wound. A smile played gently upon her lips, but not at the sight of stitches.

"You're a ray of sunshine this morning," I commented. I winced as she snipped the threads.

She smiled a true and happy smile. "I never get to see Thayet during this season unless I'm helping out with the Riders, which I haven't done in a few years. She wasn't at Corus the last I was there, but since part of the new Rider curriculum is teaching the Riders how to make accurate maps, they divided the new recruits into groups to map out the area surrounding Pirate's Swoop. The king thought that this would be the safest fief for the queen to stay at while her Riders worked." She clipped and removed the last bit of thread and admired her handiwork. "I would make you examine this with detail, but we don't have the time for this, and you look at yourself in the mirror enough."

"So says the woman who is obsessed with earrings," I grumbled. "I'm not that vain, Lioness."

She patted my head absent mindedly as if I was a dog, and I was surprised by her good nature but I wasn't happy about it. "Yes, yes. Of course you're not. Now go downstairs and eat a quick lunch."

"What time is it?" I tried to shake the sleep from my eyes. At least the pain reducing magic had faded so I was able to think a little more clearly.

"It's past noon. Don't worry about dressing fancy, a tunic and breeches will be fine." She hurried out the room.

The queen. The most beautiful woman in the world. I leaned back against my pillows slowly. Her face is where my unconditional adoration will never falter, just as her beauty will reign over Tortall and my heart until Chaos usurps the godly thrones. I sighed and rolled back to place my hands behind my head. I studied the dark ceiling above, but in my mind's eye I saw her face. Her perfectly shaped and exquisite face, I might add. Framed by hair like moistened black coils of rope, her skin like the softest peach and as smooth and unblemished as –

"Squire! Are you still in there? Make haste, Neal, we haven't got all day!"

I blanched when I realized I was daydreaming. Hair like moistened black coils of rope, I'd have to remember that to write in my Ode to Queen Thayet the Peerless.

I hurried into clean garments and then rushed down to the kitchen to find something to eat. The Cook studied me suspiciously, as if she knew somehow that I had stolen some milk the night before. I avoided her eyes and gulped down my meal as quickly as I could.

Apparently I was the only one in the fief who did not know the Queen's Riders were coming. Everyone else knew for weeks. I'm so glad my knight mistress decided not to inform me. I love surprises like these, though not as much as Lord Wyldon. Oh how the Stump and I love our surprises.

I entered into the Great Hall where my knight mistress was entertaining our newly arrived guests. Alanna, George, and Queen Thayet were huddled in a little group, obviously deep in conversation while Commander Buriram Tourakom, a large dark man I think was called Sarge, and Onua Chamtong the horse mistress of the Queen Riders were instructing recruits where to put the supplies.

I sauntered over to the Lioness' group as I heard Alanna say, "…Not going to know if I have anything to do about it." Alanna glanced pointedly at her husband who just winked at Thayet. The Lioness' eyes shifted to where I stood casually and they widened to their full violet glory. "Squire," she barked. "Go to the kitchens and ask the cook how the meal is coming along and when we are to expect it."

"At once, my Lady, of course." I took a few steps, intending to eavesdrop a little more since it was obvious that they were talking about me by Alanna's look, but her eyes never moved off me.

"Squire, please at least try to act respectfully in front of guest," she sighed. Her voice sounded resigned and tired.

"Sorry, Lioness, it won't happen again," I said with a little sincerity in my voice. I moved at a moderate pace to the kitchens.

"He doesn't exactly jump to, does he?" the queen said.

Ah, my most enchanting and observant queen. Alas, I am doomed to admire great beauty from afar. Like it says in _Fall of the Loving Fiddler_, women are delicate flowers who should be placed on high pedestals to be admired and loved by all men. Or in the _Song of the Rose_, praises and songs should be rained down on the women in our lives, commemorating the beauty they bring to us.

"You should probably tell my lady that the meal will be ready in ten minutes before she blows her top," the cook advised, waking me from my daydreams.

"Of course, thank you." I snapped out of my list mind set and walked back into the Great Hall. I announced to the Lioness when the meal was expected to be ready, and soon seven seats were filled at the table. The lovely Queen Thayet sat at the head of the table, while the Baron and the Lioness sat at the other side, with the others arranging themselves without a care to rank. I sat at my knight mistress' side as was expected.

I was neither asked nor expected to say anything during the meal, but I didn't mind for once. Not only did it give me the opportunity to admire the queen who was conveniently placed on the other side of the table, but the conversation was more sophisticated and interesting than the usual drabble I listened to as a page. Not that I didn't mind the boys and Kel, I had developed a soft and protective spot for them despite feeling like a ringleader and outsider in turns, it was just that I finally had adults around. All right, I was intimidated. It was like the dinner parties my parents threw when I was young, I was a child again and I was not supposed to speak or be noticed.

One point of interest did occur, one that sent my heart racing with anticipation. A messenger came to the door, asking for the Baron. He excused himself and left, and I saw Alanna's lips purse with concern. When George returned, he and queen's eyes met in an unspoken message, and I could tell that the queen was very interested in the message. Now why would the queen be interested in a messenger for Alanna's husband?

Well, George would never cheat on Alanna with the queen. Not only would Tortall have a dead monarch, but she would be in such a terrible fury Tortall would shake and crumble. No, George would not do that to Alanna, he seemed devoted enough to put that idea aside. What if the Baron was a henchman of the throne? That would explain the wound on George and all the messengers and the queen's interest. And the money and title bestowed on the man for his services. George the royal henchman.

I had to make sure. George would be leaving soon to go on his next assignment, so a conversation with the queen would ensue soon.

I had acquired some skills in my first year and also from reading numerous books on magic the past few years. One of my best spells, despite being a healer, was the listening spell. I knew a very basic but effective one that might do the trick. George had not listed listening spells in his areas as not allowed, so I guessed that the wager would still be upheld. I gulped and turned pale at the job before me. If I was caught by any of them, I would be dead before I could say "Great Griffins." George did challenge me to find out the truth about him, but that did not protect me from the royals and Lioness.

"Squire, are you all right?" the Lioness studied my face. The conversation had settled into a lull when she asked and soon I was the center of attention.

"You do look pale," Commander Buri commented.

"I'm feeling dizzy," I lied. "I think I'll go lie down."

"Of course," Alanna said. She reached her hand out to me to examine me with her magic, but I stood and scooted out of her reach.

"I'm fine," I assured her, and walked slowly toward the bedchambers.

Now, the obvious thing to do would be to install listening spells to overhear the Baron and his guest. This was tricky, because it would be most likely in the office. This led me to another problem: the office would probably be heavily warded against listening spells and probably created by Alanna, who had some of the powerful magic in Tortall. It was a possibility that I could create one small listening spell if I could break a portion of the spell. This could set off the spell and alarm the spell castor, and Alanna recognized my magic now. The chances that I'd be caught were highly likely. I wondered who would kill me, the henchman, my knightmistress, or the royals for crimes against the state. Despite the incredible danger, I knew this may be my only chance all summer. The queen was here and so whatever they spoke of would be top secret and tell me exactly what George did to get his wound. I might not get that chance later

My feet carried me to the door of George's office. Now what? I stared at the doorknob, expecting it to tell me what to do.

"What are you doing?" a voice said from behind me.

"Aly," I said once I regained my heartbeat. "Shouldn't you be frolicking in the daisies and fields somewhere, enjoying the season like normal eleven-year-olds?"

"Oh," she said with a twinkle in her eye. I could tell she got a kick out of startling me. Sweet girl. "I hardly frolic when I know squires are trying to break into my Da's office to spy."

"Now what a thing to say," I said. I made my voice shocked and hurt. "I would hardly break into your Da's office. I'm just lost, and here you are accusing me."

"There's no point in trying to lie, my Gift tells me if you are."

I paused. "Eleven-year-olds should always frolic, especially when they know more than they're supposed to." I said without contemplating was I was saying. So she could tell when people were lying to her. That made things a bit harder for me. Who was I kidding? That made things very hard for me. I wondered if George had the same Gift. "Why, when I was eleven, I frolicked wherever I went."

"I'm sure you did," she replied. "Now why do you want to go into my Da's office?" She was no deterred by my silly replies.

"All right then, I'll tell you. I have a wager with your father. If I manage to hear the conversation between him and the queen today, I'll win. I was going to plant a listening spell right now, but now I can't." I sighed dramatically. "Now that you know, we'd best be on our ways." I would come back in a little while when Aly was gone. Hopefully she wouldn't remain around her father's office all day.

"Go ahead, I won't stop you from putting a listening spell in there," she said to my surprise.

"You won't?"

"That place has so many spells on it; one tiny spell from you will trigger all of them off. You'll be covered in ink with your ears cut off within seconds." By my horrified expression she decided to explain. "Da has a strange sense of humor," she giggled. Strange how the idea of my ears separated from my body did not seem like a giggle worthy thing to me.

"You wouldn't happen to know a way to put a spell in there without that happening, would you?"

"I may," she said, playing with a twist of her hair casually.

"Would you care to share it with the rest of the class?"

She thought about it for a second. "No," she said gleefully and skipped away. "Don't be too upset," she said at the end of the hallway, "losing your ears will just improve your looks."

"Very funny," I said dryly. She grinned brightly and left.

The least I could do was see if any of the spells were weakening so I could do it later when they became obsolete. If they ever became obsolete.

The door was open for some reason and I was a little wary because of it. It seemed too easy. I soon found out why, the messenger was sound asleep on a chair in the corner snoring up the place.

I cast my magic around gingerly, looking for breaks or weaknesses. Finding none, I felt discouraged. Now what? Surely no business will ever be discussed out of this room, and even if it was, it'd be in incomprehensible code. The messenger continued to snore, disturbing my thought process. Suddenly an idea clicked into place. I would put the listening spell on the messenger. I put the smallest and least detectable one of knew of then left as soon as I could. Providence was smiling down upon me for once. The meeting would be between George and the queen and maybe Commander Buri because I could tell the Lioness did not like to get involved in her husband's affairs. . I also knew that the queen and Buri had no magic to speak of, and from Alanna said, George had very little magic. And if George possessed the same lie-detector magic as Aly did then I was in luck.

I retreated to my room and lay down on the bed. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.


	7. Fear Galore

I heard distinctly familiar voices drawing me from my sleep. "Wittar," the Baron's voice said. It was odd hearing his voice so clearly without seeing him.

"George," a raspy man's voice replied. "Your Highness, Your ladyship. King Maggur has decided to finally send spies among our soldiers to find out how –"

"Wait a minute." My entire body went cold at the sound of the Lioness' voice. She isn't supposed to be there, my mind screamed. I felt her magic touch my spell, then the furious scratching of chalk on slate before it stopped suddenly. The chalk dropped on the desk and rolled to the floor. From what I could tell by the sound, it shattered against the stone floor. I imagined my bones would imitate that sound soon enough. "Hold on, I think I – I think I recognize that Gift –"

I cursed and cut the spell. I was dead. What could I do? I suddenly wished Kel was there, with her cool head she would know how to rectify the situation. Of course, Kel wouldn't do something so sneaky and unchivalrous. She wouldn't be as stupid as to plant a listening spell to overhear a national hit man and a monarch discussing top secret information. I was dead. George was going to kill me if Alanna didn't get to me first. I heard the sound of angry footsteps coming down the hall. Forget wanting Kel here, I wished I was Kel.

"Where is he?" I heard the Lioness shriek from the hallway. "I'm going to kill him!"

I cursed again. I had no window to crawl out of, and locking the door and hiding under the bed did not seem effective or dignified. The door crashed as it was thrown open by a murderous knight.

"Hello, Lioness. Nice day, is it?"

"What in the Goddess' name were you doing, placing a listening spell on that messenger?" Her hand was on the hilt of her sword, causing me to gulp in rapid succession. George stood behind her looking concerned and amused. He raised his hands to give me a sarcastic and silent applause. I made a face at him, but the Lioness thought I had made it at her. Her face matched the color of her hair in her fury. "Get out of that bed and tell me exactly what you were doing, right this instant!"

I jumped out of bed, feeling too cowardly to be contrary. "All right, all right, calm down!"

"Calm down? How can I be calm after you completely disobeyed me –" I winced. I had forgotten that order she gave me when I first arrived. "—And did something so, so outrageously indecent!"

Indecent, I thought. Well, that's one way of putting it. I didn't know what to say. That alone made this a noteworthy moment.

"Say something," she said.

"I'm –" I looked to George for help. He shrugged, reminding me of the rules to the wager with his eyes.

"That's it. Pack up your bags."

"What?"

"I've had it, this was the last straw. I'm taking you back to the palace."

"No! I mean…" Alanna was the best knight I could ever get, and here I was losing her within weeks because of her husband. I wondered if that was the Baron's goal all along. She pulled out my bags from under my bed and started packing for me, using all her fury to throw things in the packs. George shook his head and slipped away.

"Stop packing!" I said and picked up the pile she threw in my bag and put it back. She picked up more things and this went on for a little while before I decided to give up my word to George. My future wasn't worth this. "You can't blame me for doing this."

"For disobeying me? Oh, I think I can."

"No, for doing this in fear of my life and reputation." Alanna stopped just as she was about to throw my precious Yamani waving cat I had received from Kel our first year.

"What _are_ you talking about? In fear of whom?"

"I don't feel safe or honorable living under the roof of a royal henchman."

"A royal – a royal what?" she sputtered, looking angry again.

"A royal henchman. You know, a hit man, someone that does the dirty work for the crown and gets paid handsomely for their troubles. Getting a mental image here?"

"Why, that is the most – I have never been more insulted in my life. I am a King's Champion and –"

"No, no!" Was the woman dense or something? "Not you. I know perfectly well what you are madam. I'm talking about the Baron."

Alanna froze for a moment. "You think George is a royal henchman?"

"Isn't he?" I was so certain when it occurred to me, but maybe I was wrong.

She began to laugh uproariously as she shook her head. "You thought, you thought he was a hit man? For the crown? Hired by the King to knock out… knock out people," she couldn't stop laughing. It was starting to grate on my nerves. "His subjects? The conservatives who complain about him?" She giggled some more. "Yes, it would have to be, because he practically lives here and at court. Did you know that?" I glowered at her laughing face. "George," she mimicked King Jonathan with a low voice, "Knock out HaMinch this week. He didn't laugh at my favorite joke at the last dinner party." She laughed some more. It really wasn't that funny. "So you where afraid he was going to what? Knock you off in the middle of the night when I told him I was fed up with you?"

I didn't answer and she laughed even more. My hand reached for a sock to shut her up with. "All right, all right, I was wrong," I said, weighing the sock in my hand.

She shook her head at me. "You don't have to fear for your life or anyone else's. That's all you need to know. George has his work, important work, which should not be disturbed." She didn't move and I was afraid to. I didn't want her to resume packing. "Do you promise not to do anything like that ever again? That is," she added, "if you wish to stay."

I looked down and shuffled my feet. "I'll be honest with you, Lioness." I looked back up at her and decided on a joke instead. "You're the best and only knight that could handle me."

She laughed again, surprised. "That's certainly true, Squire, and you are a handful. You certainly make life more entertaining. I'd hate to lose you so soon."

"Entertainment was what I was born for," I assured her. "I am a barrel of drama and laughs."

"No doubt about it," she muttered dryly. "All right, Squire, you can stay. But you will receive punishment work for this. Starting with… cleaning out the stables."

"Immediately, Lioness," and I fled. She was shaking her head at me as I left.

That was too close. One day in the wager and I was already threatened with being returned to the palace. I couldn't believe I managed to get myself out of that one.

George waited by the stables, my horse saddled and ready to go. "Planning to steal my horse?" I asked him.

"No, she's meant for you." He raised one eyebrow.

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," I said airily. "You underestimate my speaking skills." Or rather, my ability to look so stupid that the Lioness laughs herself silly and loses her mind long enough to forgive me. "Against her better judgment, I'm staying."

"I'm impressed, Master Neal," he said, and he looked it too. "I didn't expect you to have the gall to place such an obvious listening spell on one of my men either. Truly, I am impressed. The wager still stands, and I hope for my sake that you win it."

What an odd thing to say. He wanted me to win? So he could lose ten gold crowns and give me…what was it? An invitation? "Well, be as impressed as you want to be. The King's Champion's squire has work to do. I'd appreciate it if you would put my horse away." I walked by him, and in my head I gave up the wager. It wasn't worth the price.


	8. Avoiding the Lioness

**A/N: Long time no write! I'm back to finish this at last! To everyone who came back, welcome back, to anyone who is new, nice to meet you! It's been a while since I've written anything Neal, so any constructive criticism is great appreciated. I hope you enjoy!**

Over the next few days the Lioness doled out the most menial of all tasks to me while I attempted to swallow my tongue while around her. Luckily, I was not often in her presence because she was busy helping the queen with the Queen's Riders trainees. I didn't seem to fit in anywhere. At first I trailed after my knight mistress before she grew irritated with me and sent me to do stupid tasks or worse, practice with the commoner trainees. I didn't mind being with people around my age, it just seemed like we didn't have much in common. They were all nerves about becoming Queen's Riders, and I was an old squire to the King's Champion, not new to any of the concepts they were teaching at the camp. Soon I began avoiding her, and instead sought out the main healer at Pirate's Swoop so that I appeared like I was doing something productive in case my lovely knight mistress came around to check up on me.

"Wouldn't you rather be out there practicing sword fighting and the like with the other younglings than cooped up with an old woman like me?" Isadora clucked at me as I straightened the herbs in her little healer's room. It was my second day seeking her out, and for once she was not attending to some bleeding country bumpkin who accidentally dropped a dagger into his foot.

"Oh yes, because I adore being beaten and bruised by incompetent beginners all day. It's the joy of my life. I'm just dying to get out there I can barely stand another minute before going out, stealing a weapon, rallying up the beginners and charging the fief," I said dryly. I moved the Cayenne in front of the Feverfew, a little concerned than none of her herbs were placed any sort of order. I tried not to imagine Isadora mixing up the herbs and accidentally giving Fenugreek, which helped sore throats and expelled mucus, to someone who needed Juniper Berry to cure their urinary tract infection. It would not be a pretty outcome.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying so, I think it'll do you some good. I think you need a few good knocks to the head," Isadora said frankly. She pulled out a bundled of bandages and ordered me to sort them out by size. "Why on earth did you decide to become a knight instead of a healer if you hate fighting so much?"

I sighed. "Because there has always been a knight from our house to serve the Crown and be one of the main pillars of Tortall."

"Hmm," she huffed. Obviously it meant very little to the short, stocky commoner. "I say that's a load of codswallop. The king and queen have spent their lives trying to give people the opportunities that they wish to pursue, ignoring the birthrights commonly put with them. All those younglings out there are doing what they want to do, forgetting that people of the same class twenty years would never dream of trying to improve their lot in life. I say if you want to become a healer, then you should become a healer. You have a natural knack for healing, not killing, sir."

I scowled at Isadora and then the bandages. Leave it to her to lecture on things she couldn't possibly begin to understand. "I am halfway to becoming a knight. I should finish, and my knight mistress is teaching me healing. Besides, there is such a thing as responsibility and duty," I said cynically.

Isadora huffed again. "You remind me a lot of my mistress. Stubborn to the bone. The only times I've ever seen her compromise is when that husband of hers is around to soften her up."

"Tell me about it," I muttered. I prayed daily that the baron would follow his wife through all four of my squire years.

"Apparently he was a thief for most of his life, grew up in Corus when he met my mistress when she was a page."

"He was a thief?" I knew he was a commoner, but a thief?

"Oh, yes. The children would tell me stories about their parents when they were younger." She chuckled good-naturedly. "Of course, I don't know how much of that is true." She sighed. "I used to watch the children sometimes when they were younger. Aly was always full of the most sensational tales." She shook her head and turned back to measuring herbs.

I sorted the rest of the bandages without really seeing them. Was that the reason the baron got hurt, because he was out robbing someone? That was a possibility. I couldn't imagine the Lioness allowing her husband to do that though, she believed very much in chivalry and doing right. Thievery didn't seem to fit into that high code. And what did that have to do with the queen? I tried to think of what a queen would think valuable enough to steal. Queen Thayet seemed to have enough jewels and enough money, besides she could always tax the people for these things. A weapon from another country? I wracked my brain for any new or ancient weapon from another country or distant land. We already had the Dominion Jewel, what else did we need?

_The only thing we need__ to steal__ right now is information to win against the __Scanrans_I thought dryly and shook my head. I was no closer to figuring out the mystery of the baron than I was before I learned he was an ex-thief.

"Thanks, Isadora, same time tomorrow or should I not come to avoid the lecture about 'following my dreams'?"

Isadora muttered something under her breath and shook her head at me. "Go shot something like a normal knight, pillar of the kingdom," she dismissed me. It was such a nice feeling to be taken seriously.


	9. Realizing the Truth

After two more days of helping Isadora in the healing wing of the fief, I found myself extremely bored and in need of company. It wasn't my usual self to be lonely, but after spending every day with the little pages back in Corus it made me long for more than just the companionship of my books.

"Squire," the Lioness barked when she saw me sauntering towards her on the practice field set up for the trainees. "How are you with the bow?"

"I'm a fair shot," I answered. If the target wasn't moving and just happened to be ten feet away from me.

"Good. Go around and correct the trainees on their posture. I need to go speak with Thayet for a moment." She actually gave me an encouraging smile as she turned away, leaving me with ten teenage trainees.

"You're Nealan of Queenscove, aren't you?" A pretty girl nearby lowered her bow and studied me. She smiled when I nodded suspiciously. I didn't know where the conversation would go from there. "Squire Keladry of Mindelan's friend?"

"You are?" A girl with two thick plaits of brown hair also abandoned her bow to talk to me. "She's one of the main reasons I'm here! I think she's fantastic! Imagine, being the only girl among all those boys!"

"She's done all right," I answered, feeling more comfortable that the conversation had shifted to Kel so quickly. I had no problem talking about the accomplishments of my dearest friend. "She's Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak's squire now, and she's riding with the King's Own."

"Wow," the pretty girl said. She walked towards me, her eyes shining for some reason or another. I gulped.

"Umm, shouldn't we be practicing your –"

"Were you her main lover or did all the squires and pages just pass her around?"

I felt my hackles rise at that. "Excuse me?"

A tall boy standing next to the girl in plaits laughed at my tone. It wasn't a nice laugh. "Oh, c'mon," he said. "We all know that she's a whore. I bet she's been passed around the King's Own by now."

I strode forward, red heat filling my face as I tried to hold back my anger. I wanted nothing more than to throttle him and punch his face in until he resembled a rotten tomato. As if he didn't already resemble something rotten. "Don't say that, Aurant!" the pretty girl cried out. She tried to hold back my arm as if trying to stop me from fighting him.

"Well, this is interesting, Aurant. You're a sexist pig who thinks women who become warriors are whores. And yet, here you are, trying out for the Queen's Riders which is headed by several very strong women." I sighed and shook my head. "Does being dominated by women excite you that much?"

Aurant turned a reddish purple while the other trainees laughed. I knew I had gone too far this time, especially when I suddenly found myself on the wet soggy grass with Aurant on top of me, trying to beat my head in with his bow. The other trainees swarmed around, the two girls who had talked to me were screaming for Aurant to stop, and one of the boys ran off to get help. But luckily for me, I had more experience with wrestling and fighting than dear Aurant. Within seconds I twisted his bow out of his hands, whipped it around and pulled it tight against his throat, effectively cutting off his air. Aurant started to gasp for air, and soon several girls were screaming for me to let him go. I kicked him off of me and jumped to my feet, setting my feet in a fighter's stance, waiting for Aurant to attack again.

But Aurant was still on the ground, gasping for air. I relaxed and touched my head tenderly where it now bled. I sighed. I really should have known to be prepared for that attack. Now I had a second head injury within a week. The Lioness was not going to be happy. Well, that and I provoked one of her trainees and almost strangled him with his own bow. That would probably not make her happy either.

"What in the Goddess' name is going on here?" Ah. My gentle and sweet knightmistress was back. I turned and was met with the ferocious violet glare of Alanna, along with the shocked, confused and angry looks of half of the trainers, including the queen and Sarge.

"We had a misunderstanding," I said with my best innocent look. "He attacked me, I defended myself… but it's all a thing of the past really. Look, we're already friends again." I pointed to Aurant who was still hunched over, holding his neck and trying to breathe. "Aww," I said and pressed my hand to my heart as if I was touched. "Isn't that sweet? He's all choked up about acquiring a new friend."

Several of the trainees laughed, but the trainers did not quite appreciate my humor.

"Theo, while you take Aurant to the healer's tent for me, please?" the queen ordered before turning her lovely eyes to me. "Squire Nealan—"

"Let me speak to my squire alone for a moment," Alanna said quietly. "He's my responsibility, I will make sure he is properly punished for this."

The queen inclined her head to Alanna. "As for the rest of you, I want you to get back into a straight line, and Sarge will oversee how your shooting has improved." The trainees moved quickly, afraid to appear like they were disobeying their queen.

I met Alanna's eyes and looked down quickly. There were so many emotions in that gaze, and most of them embarrassed and shamed me greatly. Would I never learn how to control my tongue?

"Lioness, I—"

"Come on, Squire," she said quietly. "There's no need to make more of a scene then you already have."

We marched silently back to the entrance of the fief. I poured some of my Gift into my wound to staunch the blood that was dripping down my face. It wasn't a bad wound, but it was a pretty deep cut and a little bruised.

Once we arrived at the healer's chamber and Isadora proved to be elsewhere, Alanna whirled around and pushed me forcefully into a chair. "Tell me what happened."

"Well, that boy Aurant insulted Kel, so I insulted him, and then he attacked me." I watched as she went to find some sterile bandages and pure alcohol for my head.

Alanna appeared not to belief that simplified version. "Uh huh. And what did he say, and what did you say?"

"Well, he called Kel a whore and asked how many times I'd slept with her, and if all of the pages and squires used her." I could still feel my anger making my heart pound. "I then asked if he joined the Queen's Riders, which is mostly headed by women, because being dominated by women excited him." Alanna had been walking towards me at the time, and she froze when I finished speaking.

"You said that?" she gasped. "Neal, honestly, you've got to keep control over your tongue! You can't just go around insulting people right and left! This isn't the first time you've insulted people's sexuality and sexual preferences before."

"What? How did you know that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Stefan from the stables, of course. He's a friend of George's."

"Oh." I tried to think back and remember if I ever said anything else important while I was in the stables. The idea that the Lioness and her husband had been spying on us worried me a little bit. I was going to start becoming paranoid.

Spying. I blinked. It was if all the pieces suddenly fit together in that one moment. Or maybe I was crazy; after all, Aurant did try to smash my head in with a large wooden bow. But no, wait. Important work for the queen and king. Wittar did say something about King Maggur's forces when I put the listening spell on him. And we desperately needed word about what was going on in Scanra. Not to mention, the Baron was an ex-thief, so he would have lots of unconventional ways of getting information that normal nobles would surely not have. But wait, the Lioness' father Myles of Olau, he was the current spymaster. But that didn't mean they didn't work together and it certainly didn't mean that the Baron could be someone who worked undercover for—

"Are you listening to me, Neal?" the Lioness snapped, and quite annoyingly snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Erm, yes?" I flinched when she rubbed my head roughly in her anger.

"You embarrassed and humiliated me in front of my collegues! How am I to gain the respect from the other trainees if they don't even see my one true responsibility speak to me with respect! You've gone too far this time, Neal."

I looked down, ashamed of myself. Perhaps I had gone too far.

"I am not joking with you now, I'll have you know. This is the complete and final straw. If you don't manage to control that tongue, at least around me, I swear I'll send you back to Lord Wyldon and have him pick a suitable knightmaster for you."

I chocked on my own spit. "What? Have the Stump pick me a knightmaster?" The Stump would pick the worst possible person for me. Or worse, decide to be honorable or some horrible notion and become my own knightmaster. He would be twenty times worse than the Lioness could ever be.

"Don't call him that," she ordered, but I could see she found my nickname for him humorous by the way her eyes crinkled around the edges. She didn't like him that much either.

"And I can't believe you're lecturing me on my tongue. The last I heard, your sharp tongue was three times as well known and feared as my own."

Of course that made her angry. I think I was too perceptive for her to be ever truly comfortable with me. "That is completely different! I am an adult and –"

"I'm nineteen." I raised my eyebrows at her. Who was she trying to fool here?

"Yes," she countered. 'But the last time I checked, I was the knightmistress and you were the squire. You are to be obedient to me. And I want you to be obedient by holding your tongue and being well mannered. Understand?"

She had me there and she knew it. I let my body fall into a sulk as I glared at her. "Yes, Knightmistress." Despite my attitude, I meant my words. She grinned, victorious, and sealed off the wound with her magic. She leaned my head back, admiring her work.

"Neal," she said, my head still in her grasp. "I want you to go upstairs and get your sword and then go to the practice courts. I'm going to teach you a lesson." Marvelous, more humiliation, but probably less than I deserved. She let me go and almost skipped to the doorway. "And Neal," she said, grinning a wolfish grin that worried me. "You might want to change clothes. We're going to have an audience, and you should look your best."

Mithros. I stared at her horrified. "Do I have to?" I slipped out.

She grinned at me. "Yes, yes you do. I'll see you in fifteen minutes. Don't be late."

I sat there for a moment longer, then sighed and stood up. This was not going to be a fun day.

My mind turned to my previous thoughts I had about the Baron. He was the second spymaster of Tortall. Changing my mind at the last moment, I headed towards the Baron's office instead. I knocked twice, and waited impatiently for him to answer.

"How may I help you, Neal?" the Baron asked, amused.

"Oh, I can see you're busy. Well, I guess I'll have to come back another time, and you can tell me all about being the second spymaster of Tortall." His eyes widened for a second and then he began to grin at me. I grinned back. I was right.

"And you owe me, what? Ten gold nobles and an invitation? Pay up, Baron."

"Just step into my office and we'll go over th' details," he said, swinging the door wider.

I hesitated. As interested as I was, I knew that things had to go in a certain order. "Actually, I'm meeting my knightmistress for some fencing lessons. Another time, Baron." And I turned on my heel and walked away, mentally preparing myself for battle with the Lioness.


End file.
